Hundreds of people enjoyed live music and dancing at the inaugural Bouyon Festival on Saturday, Aug. 25. The event, which took place at Amadeus Nightclub, located at 79-51 Albion Ave. in Elmhurst, celebrated Caribbean unity and introduced Bouyon music, a genre from the island nation of Dominica, to the greater public.
Bouyon is a fusion of the traditional Dominican folk music genres Bele, Quadrille, Jing Ping, Mazouk, Kadans and goat-skin drums, fused with modern digital influences to create a unique sound.
The Windward Caribbean Kulture (WCK Band) pioneered and elevated the musical genre to the world stage. Saturday’s event featured a lineup of well-known Dominican artists, including Triple Kay, Asa Bantan, Ridge, Pudaz, Burning Flames, Riddle, DJ MJ and Sal.
The event, organized by renowned St. Lucian event producer Jay Upscale and Olivier Choisi of KaruKera One Love Music Festival, promoted unity amongst Caribbean nations and introduced Bouyon to a global audience.
Shanita Scotland, an event marketing representative, said Bouyon music is a “flavorful soup that blinds various musical styles into an energetic and fun experience.”
Scotland added that the festival aimed to push Bouyon to the global stage and highlight its inclusion as a category at the Caribbean Music Awards. “The success of the Bouyon Festival in New York marks a significant milestone for the genre. Bouyon has been celebrated at smaller Dominican parties, but this is the first time it has been showcased on such a grand scale,” she said in a statement. “The overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, many of whom preferred future outdoor events, motivates us to continue spreading the infectious energy of Bouyon music.”
The island nation made headlines recently when Thea LaFond won the country’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics. LaFond, the only woman from her country competing in track and field, became a source of national pride and inspiration for the country when she won first place in the women’s triple jump final.
Located between the French-speaking islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, Dominica is known for its spectacular mountains and lush tropical rainforests. Roughly 70,000 people live in the country, with English being the primary language. French Patois is also commonly spoken. Dominica gained independence from Great Britain on Nov. 3, 1978.
